The Most Horrible Tragedy and the Greatest Reunion
by da wizard of da fantasy world
Summary: Amy walked out of the room refusing to look at her enemy, thinking she had said the last word. But that morning when she woke up she found a note on her night stand she realized it was him with the last word. "Amy, Your wish has come true. I will never help you again. Atticus will help you but as for me I hope to never see you again, Jake."


Chapter 1

He was dead. The thought froze her brain and made her legs shake and turn to water. It pounded through her head like a funeral chant. Funerals, death, blackness; no sixteen year old should be think of death. No teenager should be experiencing the toll of death. They should be worrying about boys, dates, and what clothes to wear the next day. Not worrying if they were going to be the next victim of some murdering psychopath who had "taking over the world" at the top of their bucket list.

However, all the protests or the feeling of injustice at the situation would not make the black clothes, her relatives and the droopy face of the funeral director go away. It would never bring back _him_ back. She could never save him from a near death experience. She could never pull him back from where he had gone. Amy Cahill, the most powerful person in the Cahill family, was completely powerless.

The girl in question sighed and started into nothing. The empty void her brother had filled would never, ever, ever be replaced by anyone or anything ever again. This thought alone brought the black belt girl to her knees. It squeezed the air out of her chest and made her want to collapse but her face remained as emotionless as a stone wall. The pastor stepped away from the mike, his speech finished. Amy was sure it was a wonderful speech about how great _he_ was but she had not heard a word of it.

Now it was Amy's time to speak. She looked down at the green grass, which had been torn apart and trampled on until dead; just like her heart.

The leader of the Cahill's stepped up to the podium and looked around, recognizing many faces in the crowd. Beyond the small group huddled around the podium dreary gravestones stood out in the grass like stone teeth in the mouth of mother earth. The leaves of the poplars surrounding the graveyard fluttered across the grasses like wet pieces of gold but the wind pushed its way into her bones making her shiver like only the North wind could do.

"Friends, family we have gathered together here today, "Amy paused, surprised at her own low, husky but firm voice. "To honor the memory of Dan Cahill. He was a great friend to some and a brilliant boy to others. He was also the most wonderful brother anyone could have and he was most dear to me." Amy paused at the sniffs around her and looked down at her au pair, Nellie Gomez. The girl smiled weakly through her tears as Amy looked away to the coffin in front of her. She tried to feel the same emotion as everyone else. She reached down deep inside her for something, anything but all she found was darkness. No tears, no feelings of loss just numbing choking darkness. "Dan, I wish you farewell" Amy stepped away from the mike and dropped her one fire red rose into the freshly dug hole. After a moment a flyer for the circus college in Europe that Dan wanted to go to fluttered from her pale fingers. Then she stepped away from the hole and watched as all the representations from all the branches of the Cahills also dropped something into the hole. Then they all walked past the casket wishing Dan a last farewell. Many came and said something as well to Amy. She answered automatically.

Then they all shuffled away like a long line of black ants scurrying to get home in the rain. The service over everyone hurried to get away from the reminders of death. Amy watched every person she knew desert the final resting place of her most treasured friend for the comfort of the warm, dry inside. She through dry eyes as each scurried to their cars, the sound of engines revving up breaking the silence.

A raindrop hit her nose and then another hit her cheek. The grey sky emptied its content on the earth and Amy turned her face toward the sky, hoping it would wash away the rock in her throat and the back, sick feeling swirling in her insides. Then she noticed she was not alone. Not everyone had abandoned Dan. Across the yawning, muddy hole was two boys huddled next to each other. They were brothers and the only other friends that were almost as close to Dan as Amy.

The girl's heart missed a beat as the older one caught her eyes but Amy looked away. She too left Dan and ran to her slate blue Mustang. The boys followed her for she was their ride home. The smaller one, Atticus, crawled into the back without complaint as Jake, the older one climbed into the front with Amy. She looked at neither of them but instead jerked the stick into drive and raced down the long driveway to the freeway, which led to Boston.

Suddenly she wanted to get as far away from that place as she could. The boys said nothing but held on in grim silence as Amy sped through the curves at unsafe speed. She rolled down her window, wanting to feel the pain of the sharp little needles slashing her face. She broke all speed limits as she took to the back roads to go home to her mansion on the outskirts of Boston. Amy could see in the rear view mirror Atticus shivering in the cold. However, Amy did not care. If she could not feel sadness she would feel pain.

Finally Amy pulled up to the gate that separated her grandmother's mansion from the rest of Boston. She typed in the numbers and drove slowly up the driveway to the paved circle that reached the huge oak doors. Cars were parked up and down the driveway preventing Amy from reaching any farther than the guesthouse. She turned off the car with a flourish and took a deep breath. She was going to have to face all those people and tell them they would take care of this murder. That she, Amy Cahill, would see to the death of her brother and would investigate in until all had been laid to rest.

As Amy tried to build her courage to go inside and out on a brave and optimistic face for the rest of her family Atticus got out and walked up to the house. Normally Jake would scold him for being rude and not asking Amy if he could go into her house first but Jake did not say anything. Amy had told them they were welcome to stay as long as they needed in her house before they went back to Rome to go back to their regular lives.

Amy reached for the door handle as well but Jake reached across the space and closed the door. Silence settled heavily as Jake took his hand back.

"You can't go in there like this."

Amy turned for the first time to look at him. His sharp, dark brown eyes pry into her trying to gauge her. "Why?" she cocks her eyebrow ready for a fight.

He sent her a glare, "You know why. Just calm down first you can't make good decisions while you are angry."

Amy stared at him blankly. The hardest day of her life and that did not stop Jake. Oh, no. He never stopped trying to get under her skin. However, before her angry thoughts could find there way to her mouth Jake did something else. Lightly, as if afraid he would shatter the fragile figure next to him, he laid his hand on her arm.

"I'm so sorry. If there is anything I can do to help…"

Her arm felt as if she had just got shocked by an electric bolt coming straight from his hand. However, Amy pushed away that thought at his words and settled a deep scowl on her face.

"No there is nothing you can do. There is nothing any one can do! Just, just leave me alone!" Amy opened the car door and stormed out. Why did every thing anyone said only make it worse? All she wanted to do was dig herself in a hole so deep she could never get out again. But Amy had to push forward like the strong leader she was. No weakness no tears.

Her light brown boots only hovered for a moment as she heard the car door open and Jakes footsteps fading away to who knows where. She pushed away the regret and raced up the grand marble steps to the giant hard wood door. She pushed it open with little effort. In the grand foyer people talked in groups around while even more people came from the kitchen carrying plates filled with food that looked like it had been made by a French chef. It had been made by a chef trained in France; Nellie. Many of the Cahills looked up at Amy's entrance. She moved in between them greeting them by name. She kept up her plastered smile up as she slipped into the kitchen.

Amy shook hands and answered every question politely with many smiles. She promised her paranoid family she would find the cause of Dan's death. He was not only her brother but was one of the most important people in the Madrigal branch. Finally Amy sat down on a bar stool and pulled up to the marble counter. A glass slid in front of her and Amy looked up to the smile of Ian. 'Just great! The last thing I need is a scheming Lucian.' Amy thought as he sat down beside her. Amy subtlety scooted away from his chair so there would be room between them.

"Hello, Amy. How are you?" Ian said in his clipped English accent.

"I'm fine, thank you." She said politely.

"Oh well that's a nice surprise. People are usually so emotional over things like this but we have a crime to solve." His eyes lit up. Amy stared at him as he went to explain his ideas on how Dan might have been killed. Amy kept her mask in place. Ian was a valuable asset, which meant Amy had to play nice. However, that did not mean she had to pay attention. She looked out the French doors to where the rain pounded down on the perfectly manicure lawn. A figure sat under a tree in a corner of the lawn. Amy pondered this for a moment; who would stay out in the rain? She caught a glimpse of a burgundy shirt and jeans. It was Jake. He was all alone, outside, in the rain, by himself. All because of her.

"Amy? Amy! Are you paying attention? Dear God, I do believe you have gone into a trance."

"Oh sorry, Ian. I do agree with you about, you know whom. However, I would rather wait until the mourning period is over. You know, do not want to create a bad scene. Leave a report of your suspicions and findings up in Attleborough and I will get to it when I can."

"Of course. Thank you." Ian paused and laid a hand on Amy's shoulder. He gave her a sympathetic than waltzed away as if he usually did that. Amy shook her head as she watched him speak in an almost chipper way as he slipped off the chair. "Cheerio!"

Amy gave a strain smile then slipped off her stool. She slowly walked to the window. Going outside actually looked like a good idea. There she would not be surrounded by people and she longed to get away from the people. All Amy wanted to do was go hide far away go out there.

"I'll get everyone to go into the parlor. "

Amy turned to the voice at her shoulder, "Hi, Nellie! What do you mean?"

"Hi, kiddo. You want to go outside right? Well you can't do that while everyone is in here. I think it is time the Cahill girl got some privacy. I will get everyone to leave. They need to go home anyway."

Amy looked back at her au pair. Nellie's Spanish features clashed drastically with her spiky black and orange hair along with the dragon tattoo on the inside of her wrist. Now exactly the front cover baby sitter but Amy and Dan loved her like an older sister.

"What? Nellie no. It is fine, really. Let him rot outside in the rain I don't care."

Nellie raised an eyebrow, "Who said anything about a guy. However, you are still thinking about it. I will leave you to it."

Amy did not have to explain anything to Nellie including who the guy was. Nellie knew and understood everything. Without another word the girl shooed everyone out of the room leaving Amy to protest to an empty room.

Amy sighed in the empty room and dropped the fake smile she had been keeping on. Anger and grief flowed in from where it had been hiding somewhere inside her. The rain pelted the French doors as if banging on the door to be let in. Amy hesitated once before pushing open the door just a crack. A gust of winter wind blew in and Amy hurriedly stepped out on to the deck before she could change her mind. The wind died down to a lull and all Amy could hear was the pounding of her own heart. It beat like a herd of horses as she stepped off of the screen porch and onto the green lawn. The ground was muddy and soaked with water. The rain came down in torrents and ran down My face as if trying it's hardest to wash away the tears stealing down her cheeks. She walked slowly toward the tree where Jake was sitting. He didn't look up as she came into the drier arms of the oak tree.

Instead of looking up jake buried his head in his hands. Amy sat down beside him on the wet grass. Jake looked up his face was worn and sad. He stared at her as if he could not comprehend her being there. She didn't break the silence almost as if she said anything he would be startled and run.

She leaned her back against the tree and slid down to the wet grass. Jake sighed and stared back out into the curtains of rain. The two sat in silence not saying anything. After all, what could be said? After all they had been through and all that had been said. The things that had been done could not be taken back yet both wanted to fix them. But neither knew what to say. Amy could barely believe the irony. The one person who understood her pain was sitting right next to her and yet he was as far away as Dan. Being the Cahill's leader had taken away everything. It had messed every one of her few relationships to the point of no return. The hopelessness of it crashed onto of her like a huge weight too heavy to take off. A sob shook in her chest and Amy tried her best to stop the next one. Instead a choking sob sounded in her ears and Amy realized it was hers. She put one white hand over her mouth but the sobs only came harder. Before she could move arms wrapped around her.

Amy leaned into Jake as he wrapped her into his embrace. She knew this would only make things worse. She knew people would stare and talk but Amy didn't care. He held her tighter as Amy cried harder. She couldn't take this; not anymore. She would never get through this on her own. Relief flooded her as she properly mourned for Dan. Jake let his chin rest on her head as Amy relaxed in his arms. However, nothing good ever seems to last long.

Before she could stop herself a image of _that_ email drifted into her head. Amy leaped from his embrace. Jake looked startled as she stood up.

"What's wrong?"

Amy felt sorrow at his betrayal he had just stabbed her in the back and acted as if he was innocent. "HOW COULD YOU?! Dont you know what I have been through? Did you really think a hug would make it better."

Jake stood up as well angry as well. Amy felt herself growing faint as she whispered the words that hit him like a dagger in the dark. "After all you said…. how can I ever trust anything you say? Everything you do is not consistent. When you said what you said you lost me forever. Don't think you could ever get me back. You dont deserve any of it." Amy raced away. She could not watch her only comfort grow hard before her eyes.

"Amy, wait! I want to say something! Please come back!" Jake called. But Amy ignored him and kept running. Jake watched her go as he whispered, "All I wanted to say was I'm sorry." The heartbroken boy hung his head and walked down the driveway toward the street.


End file.
